


Another kind of love

by AniZH



Category: Victorious
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-01
Updated: 2016-10-24
Packaged: 2018-08-18 23:51:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 18,667
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8180539
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AniZH/pseuds/AniZH
Summary: Beck immediately is interested to know more about Jade, when she comes to Hollywood Arts as the new girl. His girlfriend Tori meanwhile doesn’t like Jade at all.





	1. The new girl

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, everyone!  
> I don't think it's smart for me to have two stories going at the same time, but this fic almost writes itself at the moment, while I'm a little stuck at Their son right now. And as that story is sooo long and this will be quite short, I decided to put this in quickly. If you read Their son as well, I'm already apologizing, because I think I will make a one-week break with uploading there soon, but I hope this otherwise won't interfere too much with it. I do also want to upload this once a week (and the weekend is always good, because I have time for a final proofread then and you have hopefully directly time to read) and it will have six chapters all in all. It is a Beck and Jade story though Beck and Tori are together at first (and for most of the fic).  
> Now, everyone have fun reading!

Everyone knows a new girl will come. They say she’s moving to Los Angeles at the moment, has already successfully auditioned for the school and will be there soon.  
Tori is excited to take the new girl under her wing, to show her around, to make her feel welcome. Tori is a wonderful girl, always helpful and easy-going. Beck loves her very much and now is together with her for a year already. They have quickly become friends when they have started to attend Hollywood Arts and somehow from the very beginning, everyone has seen them as more than friends. Slowly, they have become exactly that. After a year of solid friendship, they have shared a careful first kiss with each other, and it has been so easy to transition from being friends into being a couple.  
Beck just now checks if Tori has texted him as they usually meet in front of her locker before Sikowitz’ class on Monday mornings, but Tori has texted him earlier that she would come a little later today and that he already should go to the classroom without her to make sure he's on time.  
She hasn’t sent another text, as he sees now, but possibly he could ask her via text if she’s already in school.  
He’s still considering it when suddenly, he bumps into someone.  
Not only his own coffee but also the other person’s go all over his shirt. Luckily, both are only luke-warm and not totally hot. He still takes a small step backs as he looks down at himself.  
“What kind of idiot are you?”  
Beck looks up from his shirt to see a girl standing in front of him he doesn’t know yet. Instantly, he forgets about the coffee and the bad feeling of the shirt on his chest.  
The girl is rather pale, has black hair with blue streaks in it, pericing blue-green eyes with which she glares at him. She wears a tight black top, black jeans and black boots and some jewelry. She even has two piercings.  
And in her hand is the other coffee cup that got emptied all over him.  
“What? Can’t even talk?”  
He blinks, slowly looking from her boots up to her face again to see how she has cocked an eyebrow and now harshly says: “Take a picture.”  
“I’m sorry,” he finally says. He’s not sure himself if he apologizes for staring like that or for bumping into her. He’s also not sure if that last one has been his fault. Yes, he has been distracted by his phone but she must have suddenly turned and taken a step in his direction for it to happen like that.  
She already asks though, still harshly: “Didn’t you see me standing here? Are you blind or something? Or really just dumb?”  
Beck doesn’t exactly know why, but the situation somehow amuses him. Yes, he also feels confused because he should be angry, shouldn’t he be, with the coffee all over him. But he can’t feel angry at all somehow.  
But before he can say anything, there’s another voice cutting in: “Uhm, hi. I’m Tori. Why are you calling Beck bad names?”  
While the rest of the class already there watches them in silence, without a doubt also surprised about the girl’s outburst, Tori must have just come in and could’ve only heard the last few words of the conversation.  
Now, she steps next to Beck while the stranger says: “This stupid idiot lost me my coffee.”  
“I’m sorry,” Beck quickly repeats himself. “It was an accident.”  
“I’m sure you were an accident,” the girl directly says. Wow. She hasn’t even thought about that one for a second.  
Tori cuts in: “There’s no need to talk to him like that.”  
The other girl raises her eyebrows at her. “What are you? His mommy?”  
For a second, Beck is about to smile. Well, certainly, Tori has just acted a little like a mother, not like a girlfriend. She sometimes does that. He’s fine with it, but is a little amused at someone making fun of it.  
“His girlfriend,” Tori says decisively though and the other girl’s eyebrows go even higher up as she looks between Beck and Tori, and then says: “Of course. Whatever.”  
And, obviously uninterested, she turns away and finally sits down.  
Tori keeps looking at her for another while, as Beck already sits down on the other side of the room, finally turning back to his shirt that’s of course still drenched in coffee.  
Tori finally sits down next to him when Sikowitz suddenly bursts into the room and says something about a fire. Of course, everyone gets back up and hurries to the door, Beck making sure Tori’s leaving before him.  
Before anyone reaches the door, Sikowitz already says though: “Kidding, kidding. Just wanted to get your blood pumping. Which I did.”  
Sikowitz sometimes does these weird things. Beck likes it though. It keeps them up their feet, it keeps them alert. Which they also need to be when they act.  
He tells them to sit back down now which they do, then he says: “Okay, first, I’d like to introduce our new student, Jade.”  
So that’s the new girl’s name.  
She barely nods and Sikowitz looks at her for a moment, as if he expects her to at least say hi, but as she doesn't, he gets right into his lesson: "Now, today, we're going to continue our study in group improv. Jade, I assume you're familiar with improv?"  
"Of course," she says, even sounding a little annoyed that she has gotten asked. This girl truly is something different.  
"Excellent," Sikowitz says. "Tori, you will captain the first group of the day. Choose your actors."  
He sits down in the back while Tori moves to the front. They of course know what to do, have been improving their previous lesson as well in about groups of five.  
Tori now also chooses her four friends: "Cat, Robbie, Beck and Andre."  
Beck has been sure, Tori would choose him, as have the others been. It's just so much easier to improv with your friends than with other classmates. Though, naturally, Beck enjoys the challenge to also improvise with everyone else but as they have just only started with it, he's fine with doing it with his friends at first.  
Robbie puts Rex down, then they are all up the stage and Sikowitz makes the rest of the class choose a place and a situation. Then, they get going.  
It's a nice little scene they do but while they do it, Beck can't help but look to the new girl every once in a while. They are not doing anything too challenging, noone says something too surprising, so he has enough time to look over to her with still staying in character.  
Though the girl sits there in a bored pose, she does watch them mildly interested. She doesn't seem to think too much of their scene though, at least she has cocked an eyebrow by the end of it.  
Beck wonders what she thinks and would've liked to ask her but at the end of the scene, he sits back silently and listens to Sikowitz' critique, who says that they could've gone with a little bit more risk, that one of them should have just put something surprising into the scene.  
Another group goes whose acting is much worse and they also talk about that scene for a while when Eli is called to captain a group and he calls up three of his friends, before he looks to Jade, shrugs and then smiles: "Jade."  
She doesn't hesitate and directly gets up to the stage with them. And she changes. As soon as the group has gotten a place and a situation, her posture changes like Beck sees it with other good actors in this school. She gets into some character, easily, even changes the tone of her voice completely, suddenly sounding much softer than she has talked to Beck earlier.  
Beck is impressed, also of how she doesn't hesitate to interact with everyone else on stage and to pull the focus on her in front of the whole class she barely knows. Jade obviously knows how to act - and likes it. Many students here like it, that's why they are here, but there's something about Jade... Beck has to smile.  
Especially when Sikowitz calls the scene off and Jade lets the whole act drop immediately, crosses her arms and sits back down bored.  
Sikowitz also likes their scene almost best of the ones already done and they only have time for one other group, then the bell rings.  
"Jade," Tori stops the new girl when she's about to pass them to be one of the first to be out of the door with Beck and Tori just having stood up.  
Jade turns to her with an annoyed look, but she does stop.  
Tori tries a smile again. "I think we got off on the wrong foot. How about we show you around?"  
She implicates Beck and her. Of course, she still tries to be nice. Beck guesses, she has thought about the incident earlier and has somehow decided that Jade could be different after the scene she acted out, and to still try to befriend her to make her start here easy.  
But Jade raises her eyebrows. "Yeah, right." Then, she turns to Beck. "You owe me a coffee though."  
"Sure," Beck says though he's still not sure why he's the one owing her, but why not? He can get her coffee. Maybe, that will make her talk to him a little. She definitely seems interesting. More interesting than anything that has happened in this school lately.  
He smiles and she's out of the door without another word.  
"How weird is she," Tori murmurs and by now, Cat stands with them, looking after Jade like Beck does: "I think she seems interesting." Boy, Beck has never agreed with Cat more.  
"I think she seems a little scary," Andre says though. He and Robbie and Rex have also approached them and Beck looks at him surprised.  
She hasn't seemed scary to him at all. She has seemed interesting and exciting and just so... different. It definitely makes him want to know so much more about this girl.

 

He approaches her in front of her blank locker before lunch, his shirt only roughly rubbed with a wet towel in the restroom. He of course doesn't have his gym clothes or anything with him today, so he'll have to stay in this shirt for the rest of the day.  
"What?" she asks, barely looking at him. She already has brought most of her stuff and has put it in there, as far as Beck can see.  
"I wanted to ask how you like your coffee, so I can get you one," he says honestly.  
That does make her look at him, tilting her head, almost a smirk on her lips. "It depends on my mood. Black, two sugars is fine at the moment though."  
He asks himself what kind of mood she is in then, and what other moods long for other kind of coffees.  
"Okay," he says for now though and then asks: "You coming with? You can also sit with us for lunch."  
He can get her the coffee at the truck outside and then, they can sit down together with his friends - and he can get to know more about her.  
"No," she decides though, quite harshly.  
"Why not?" he asks but she doesn't answer, instead puts a book into her bag, that looks a lot like some thriller, then takes her food out of her bag while she closes her locker.  
So, she plans to read while she eats, as far as he can gather. Some thriller. Well, she can do that, but he doesn't understand, why she doesn't want to sit with them at all. Why isn't she glad about someone offering her to sit with them, is she the new girl after all?  
But yes, she's different. And carefully and with an amused smile, he tries a different approach of getting her there to get to know more about her: "Well, how about this? If you come sit with us every lunch for the week, I'll get you a coffee each morning."  
Jade cocks an eyebrow at him. "Really?" He nods, because why not? He can do that.  
She shrugs. "If you wait at my locker each morning with that coffee, it's a deal."  
So, she really needs her coffee apparently if she is ready to sit with them for it. Or she takes up everything she can get for free.  
He wants to agree in any case because that's not a hard thing to do and he's sure he will get an interesting start of the day each day if his first talk in school will be with her.  
Then he remembers: "What if you're ever in the mood for a different coffee?"  
She shrugs again. "Then, you'll get me a new one then."  
Of course. He would've have to get her two coffees then. Well, he would be able to drink the one with two sugars. It may not be his favorite kind but it's fine. So, why not also agree to this? Undoubtedly, he will learn a lot about Jade through his deal. And somehow, he feels like he should learn more about her, like that's what he needs in his life. A little excitement.  
"Okay," he says with a smile and makes a gesture to imply that they should go to the Asphalt Café then.  
She does go with him now. She says though: "Don't expect me to start swooning over you or something."  
Okay, that came out of nowhere. "I don't," he honestly says because why should she? He has a girlfriend anyway. And even if he hadn't got one, he wouldn't want any girl to swoon over him (though he realizes that some do).  
They get Jade her coffee first (and Beck gets himself one because he also has lost his coffee in the morning and definitely feels like he could use another one), then they walk to the table Beck and his friends usually sit at.  
Everyone else is already there and Beck shares a short kiss with Tori while he sits down next to her. Jade sits to his other side without looking at anyone, apparently desinterested.  
The others are looking though and Tori seems surprised that Beck brought her with him.  
"Hi, again," Rex finally says and Jade looks up, cocks an eyebrow at Rex, then at Robbie. Beck is somehow sure, she will ask Robbie what the puppet is about, which is never nice because Robbie has these problems and obviously needs Rex and it's tough to walk a line there when you're annoyed with Rex.  
Jade doesn't say anything though and Tori is the one to ask her: "So, you moved here?"  
Jade slowly looks back to her and actually answers: "Uhu."  
"Where have you lived before?" Cat asks happily.  
"New York City," Jade answers and Andre instantly reacts: "Whoa! That's a big move." In many ways. New York is so far away and also such a different kind of city.  
Jade also glances to him before she finally takes a sip out of her coffee. She obviously won't say anything on her own.  
But obviously, not only Beck wants to know more about her.  
Tori asks: "Have you been on a performance arts school before as well?"  
"Yes," she answers.  
Cat cuts in again: "What do you like best? Like singing, acting, dancing?"  
Jade shrugs. "Acting."  
"You've done a good job today," Tori says and Beck nods. She has.  
Jade doesn't bother to thank her for the compliment but starts eating instead.  
"What class do you have next?" Rex asks and Jade may narrow her eyes on Robbie, but she does answer the question: "Singing."  
"Me, too," Cat says excitedely. "Do we have the same class? We could do the next project together!"  
"You have a project coming up?" Andre asks interested. He isn't one to ask too much about all the acting stuff but whenever someone has a project in music, he wants to know more about it. It happens regularly for him to also do the assignments of their classes for himself, just for the fun of it. Andre is a brilliant musician, one of the best at Hollywood Arts, if not the best.  
"Yes," Cat answers. "We're supposed to sing a well-known song in another style. I think we can also do duets. We will get to know more about it today."  
"That sounds like fun," Robbie says, talking for the first time since Jade has sat down.  
"It will be," Cat agrees and start explaining about all the ideas she already has and somehow, they get into different topics that have nothing to do with Jade at all.  
She also doesn't say another word during lunch and seems rather uninterested in everyone's stories.  
When the bell rings, she's up and gone with Cat hurrying behind her though.  
Well, Beck hasn't learned all that much about Jade. But for some reason, she still fascinates him. There's something about her...


	2. Small talk

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello!  
> Here comes the second chapter. Thank you for the two kudos and the bookmark. I hope you keep enjoying! :)

On the next day, Beck does as he has promised. He already gets the coffee on his way to school and then waits with it in front of Jade's locker after a short talk with Tori and then her leaving for her talk with her singing teacher that she has scheduled for this morning.  
Jade cocks an eyebrow as she sees him in front of her locker when she comes in not too long before the bell. She doesn't even say a greeting, instead: "You’re actually doing it."  
"Of course, I am," he says because he does keep his word.  
"Why?" Jade asks while she takes the coffee out of his hand and takes a sip.  
"Why not?" he responds, which makes her narrow her eyes at him.  
He returns the look calmly and openly because he really doesn't have any good reason to do this - and especially not a mean one, though he has an inkling that Jade believes that.  
Finally, Jade looks to her locker and opens it while she says: "Well, whatever. You can leave now."  
"Is that all I get for bringing you a coffee to your locker?" he asks to get something more out of her, to have her talk to him.  
Jade smirks. "You get to eat lunch with me."  
He shrugs and claims: "I think I deserve a little more."  
That makes her cock an eyebrow again. "Like what?" Okay, she expects something weird.  
"Some small talk?" he suggests though.  
"I don't do small talk," she promptly replies, looking back into her locker and changing some stuff in and out of there.  
He cheekily says: "Then, let's get right to the heavy stuff." If she doesn't like small talk, she should be ready to talk about her feelings or something.  
She smirks again, looking back again, actually amused. "Yeah, right. Then lets hear you first."  
"Saying what?" he asks.  
"Tell me some 'heavy stuff'," she prompts, closing her locker back up.  
Oh, okay. He leans against the locker besides hers and thinks. Then, he shrugs again: "I'm not sure I have anything to say." He doesn't have much heavy stuff in his life after all.  
"Picture perfect life, huh?" she replies and he nods: "I think so."  
He has great parents that never really fight, has many other relatives he's on good terms with, has amazing friends and a wonderful girlfriend. He's also doing good in school and scores very small spots every once in a while in different movies and series.  
"Who would've thought?" Jade says sarcastically and... well... yeah, probably everybody can see that he has a good life.  
"What about you?" he asks.  
She crosses her arms in front of her and cocks an eyebrow again. "Yeah, right."  
Okay, she doesn't want to tell him anything. Of course, she doesn't. But he tries anyway: "Come on. Tell me something. Heavy or not. Something about you." About the fascinating person she is.  
"Why?" Jade sceptically asks.  
He shrugs. He doesn't really know why he wants to know more about her. It's just this feeling inside of him. It's just the boredness of his own life that he knows she can make go away somehow.  
He answers flatly: "Because I'd like to know."  
That doesn't make her say anything. But she also doesn't leave, instead looks at him, now with narrowed eyes again, and takes a sip out of her coffee.  
He asks, shrugging again, just wanting to talk about anything with her: "Why did you move here?"  
She answers him: "Because my mother's new boyfriend is from here and moved back and my mom went with him. Of course, I had to come with them too, though I rather would've stayed with my awful father."  
So, her parents aren't together. The tone of voice she used as she talked about her mother's boyfriend implies that she hates him. And she thinks her own father is awful - and yet she would've rather stayed with him than moved here.  
Which means that either she must hate her mother even more or... "Because you had to leave your friends behind?"  
She shakes her head."Because I had to leave my little half-brother behind. I'll see him every few months now if I'm lucky as my mother already said she won't pay for the flights. Bitch."  
Whoa, okay. He has never ever heard someone talk about their mother like that.  
Though he can understand that she’s bitter. She seems to love her little half-brother, the way she talks about him. It must be terrible to not see him in person all that often anymore, just because your mother decided to move.  
"I'm sorry," he therefore says and tries to see some good here: "Though at least you're in LA now, the city for actors."  
She did say yesterday that she liked acting best. Then, she’s right where she belongs here.  
"Well, I aspire to go to Broadway but auditions for that also will be much harder from here. But whatever. That's how life works."  
She shrugs and that must really suck. She has been right in the city where she was able to audition for Broadway plays without needing anyone to drive her around or something. So, her mother has messed with her dreams and with her relationship with her brother.  
And Jade doesn't sound like that's totally new to her, the way she says that that's how life works.  
Beck feels with her and that must have shown in his face, at least Jade suddenly spits out: "You don't need to look at me like that."  
She obviously doesn't want to see that. "I'm sorry," he says.  
She rolls her eyes. "Ugh. You say that too often." And with that, she leaves him standing at her locker, the bell ringing after her first two steps for the first lesson.

He does have two classes with her this morning but she barely acknowledges him though he sits down next to her in one of it.  
She does show up for lunch. He has almost expected to not see her there, but he remembers that she has agreed to the deal and she's obviously a person to keep her promises, just like he is.  
Tori and Beck are the only ones there yet, when Jade sits down to his other side again, not looking at either of them, but directly starting to eat.  
"Uhm... Hi," Tori says and Jade answers in a bored voice: "Yeah, hey."  
Tori looks at Beck with raised eyebrows. Beck shrugs. He notices that he heasn't told Tori about the deal he and Jade made. She hasn't asked him yesterday after lunch why they have showed up together, probably has forgotten after they have talked about so many other things at lunch. And she has possibly assumed that he had his own coffee in his hand when they have met up this morning. He hasn't mentioned that he would wait for Jade next to give it to her. There just wasn't a reason to tell her.  
Robbie and Andre join them only shortly after, also both looking at Jade wondering, but not saying anything.  
Instead, Robbie turns to Tori: "Where's Cat?"  
Sure enough. Today, Tori and Cat would've shown up at lunch together as they have the same class before.  
"Oh, there's something wrong with her brother again," Tori answers, rolling her eyes a little bit. There's always something wrong with Cat's brother. Though Beck wonders how serious it is this time.  
Andre says it though: "Her brother is always wrong." Which is why they always are unnerved when Cat starts with one of her stories about him again.  
"What's with him?"  
Wow, that's actually Jade. Jade has asked them a question, instead of just shortly answering theirs. She has looked up from her food and all of them return her look a little surprised.  
Tori is the first to answer: "He's a little off."  
"Not like Cat isn't," Andre adds. "But he's really off."  
Robbie actually explains some more, seems a little scared of Jade as he does (as does Andre, to be honest), but this is important enough for him to not have Rex speak in his place: "I think it's som psychological problem but Cat can't really say because she doesn't know herself as her parents don't tell her too much about it."  
"We have never met him," Tori cuts in again. They have seen photos, otherwise Beck would possibly believe him to be a piece of Cat's imagination. "But Cat talks about him all the time. If you'll be part of this group, you'll probably also hear a lot about him."  
Jade rolls her eyes before she looks back to her food, uninterested again. "I don't wanna be part of your ‘group‘."  
Tori feels obviously offended about it and opens her mouth to give a comeback. Beck quickly grabs her hand, in hope that will make her back off. It's not like Jade has been nice just now, but it's also not like Tori needs to feel offended about it. She doesn't need to make another comment about it.  
But Tori never backs off, even the rare times Beck would like her to. Instead, she clearly states: "That's extremely rude to say."  
"Like I care," Jade dryly answers and Tori looks even more offended.  
This time, it's Andre though, who quickly cuts in, rubbing his neck uncomfortably with his hand: "Well... Have I told you about the new song I'm writing?"  
Beck of course asks what it's about and Tori also easily gets back to their normal talk.

The next morning, Beck is in school early, but so is Jade. She already stands at her locker as he approaches it, two coffees in his hand, one for himself, one for her. He just hopes she is in the mood for her usual coffee, otherwise he will have two to drink. He can't give one of them to Tori as they never meet up before class on Wednesday - and Tori isn't too big on coffee anyway. He could otherwise only hope, Andre or Robbie would take one of them out of his hand; he shares his first class with both.  
"You are here early," he now notices as he hands Jade her coffee, not bothering with a greeting because she has said she doesn't like small talk and a greeting just seems too mundane.  
"That yours?" Jade asks, pointing at the coffee still in his hand.  
"Yeah," he answers and she takes it from him and is about to take a sip when he says: "I've already drinken out of it."  
He just wants to warn her because he knows a lot of people don't like to share a cup or something.  
She cocks an eyebrows. "So? Don't have any weird germs, do you?"  
He shakes his head and she takes a sip before she pushes the coffee, he has brought her, back into his hand and decides: "I'll keep this. You know, if you don't mind."  
Well, okay, then. He has just put a little milk into his today and no sugar at all. But apparently, she also doesn't like it sweet at all times. While he can very well drink the coffee with two sugars now. It's much better than having both and still having to get her another.  
"It's fine," he therefore answers. "What mood are you in then?"  
She leans against her locker. "It's not like I like one coffee better when I'm angry or something, and another when I'm bored. It's something I just feel like. And this tastes better right now."  
She points at the coffee that has been his originally, that she now drinks.  
He wonders if he would be able to know beforehand which coffee she would like in that moment, if he would know her better. If anyone could ever get to know her that well.  
But he knows there's no point in asking more about it. Instead, he decides to ask: "Why are you here so early?"  
Jade rolls her eyes, though seemingly not annoyed by the question but by the answer she has to give: "I have to meet up with Cat. She's already late though which at least still got me my coffee."  
"Why are you meeting up with her?" Beck asks confused. Why should Jade, who barely talks to anyone, meet up with Cat? Especially with Cat?  
Jade answers: "Because we're doing that project together for singing class."  
"Really?" Beck asks surprised. Jade is doing that project together with Cat? Just like that? Though she also could do it alone, as far as Beck has understood Cat two days ealier at lunch.  
"Yeah," Jade says with a shrug. "She kind of assumed we would do it together then and no matter how often I told her I would do it alone..." She shrugs another time. "We're doing it together now. Which is fine, because she's actually an amazing singer and our voices match well together."  
Cat undoubtedly is an amazing singer. Beck wonders what Jade's voice sounds like when she's singing. He possibly should ask Cat to record their performance, so he would also hear it.  
And he can imagine so well how Cat just takes someone in, how she starts talking and you end up working with her without knowing how it happened. It's weird that Cat can apparently even do that with Jade. He wonders if Jade has a soft spot in some sense.  
"Cat really is amazing and she can be quite persuasive," he now says.  
Jade shrugs. "She's strange."  
Which Cat totally is. Yet, there is something more to her. Beck prides himself of knowing people well on first sight (though Cat is actually even better at it than him) and there's certainly something he has seen right away with Cat.  
"She is. But she's also a good person," he says.  
Jade tilts her head, looks directly into his eyes as she agrees: "That's true." Then she shrugs again. "Whatever." And she looks past him and notices: "There she is."  
Sure enough. Cat comes running up to them.  
She apologizes that she is so late but her brother...  
"Let's just get started right away," Jade says with an eye roll and Cat always takes offense when she gets interrupted, but for some reason, she doesn't pout as much now, as she usually does.  
Instead, she then quickly says: "Okay, I know a great room."  
"Have fun," Beck tells both of them as they leave together with Cat thanking him and Jade looking at him as if he has to be kidding.

He doesn't see Jade again until lunch but Beck has barely sat down with Tori next to Cat and Andre when Jade also sits down at their table again. So, she definitely also is one to keep her promises.  
"Hi, Jade," Cat directly says with a bright smile, waving to her.  
Jade doesn't even look at her, but digs into her food right away.  
Cat doesn't seem fazed by it, instead she asks: "We'll meet at five, right?"  
Now, Jade does answer, bored though: "Yeah."  
"What are you meeting for?" Tori asks confused.  
Beck sees Jade cocking an eyebrow as if she's annoyed about Tori asking, but Cat already answers: "Jade and I are doing that project for singing class together."  
"Really?" Andre asks surprised and Beck can't help but be reminded by his own talk with Jade earlier.  
Though Jade isn't really in the mood to answer now apparently. It's Cat who says: "Yes. We're doing My Way by Frank Sinatra in a rock kind of style. Hopefully differently than everyone else who has covered it already. I think it will be amazing."  
"You can sing rock?" Tori asks Cat.  
Beck also has never heard her sing in that style.  
Cat shrugs. "Jade says I can."  
She glances to Jade who doesn't look back up from her food though, just keeps eating.  
Andre meanwhile seems excited: "I wanna hear it." Of course, he does. Naturally, Beck also wants to hear the song by the two of them but mainly because he'd like to hear Jade's voice on it. Without a doubt, Cat's voice in a rock style also has to be interesting as they've never heard it before.  
Cat bumps Jade's arms, which makes the other girl glare at her. "Let's sing a little bit of it."  
"No," Jade says in a harsh kind of way.  
"Why not?" Cat asks.  
"I'm not in the mood," Jade simply says before she turns back to her food.  
Cat pouts, while Andre finally also dares to talk to Jade again: "You like rock?"  
Jade rolls her eyes. "No, I want to sing it because I hate it."  
"Okay, then," Andre quickly says, possibly not wanting to aggravate Jade any more.  
Tori opens her mouth and Beck is sure she wants to call Jade out for her behaviour again, which is so unnecessary, because they are all old enough and Andre can say something for himself and it's not like Jade overstepped any big line or something which makes it necessary for them to protect their friend or anything. But Beck won't be able to stop her - luckily Robbie is with just arriving at their table.  
"Hey, everyone," he says as he sits down with him and Rex also nods at everyone.  
Tori also greets him and Beck is sure, he can distract her further from Jade now, and as he's interested anyway with Andre being his best friend and all, he asks Andre: "Are you doing a song in a different style now?"  
"I am," Andre says with a smile. Of course, he does.  
"We could do that together," Tori puts in happily.  
"Sure," Andre agrees. "I wanted to get started with it this evening."  
"You can come over to my house," Tori offers and there is this slightly annoyed feeling inside of Beck.  
"I thought we wanted to spend some time alone," he tells his girlfriend because that is what they have agreed on. They don't get around to spending all that much time alone because both of them are also caught up very much in their friends' lives, Tori moreso than Beck though. He likes to have a quiet night in but Tori doesn't seem to like it all that much, especially if one of their friends plans something else.  
Tori shrugs. "You can also still come over. We can be alone after Andre and I are done with the song."  
Well, and it's not like Beck doesn't like also spending time with Andre. He knows they will have a good time together. But it will be good enough that Andre will stay late and Beck will have to be home before him, so Tori and he won't have any time alone.  
He knows that Andre also would leave if he would ask him to. But Tori wouldn't like it. She considers it rude to send a friend home to be alone every now and then, while Beck thinks that's just being honest - and they are barely ever alone this way. At least not as much time as he would like to have with just her. Not even to make out or something, just to be with each other, maybe watch TV, maybe talk, maybe just lie somewhere together.  
Sometimes, he wishes Tori would also go more for that, instead of always loving to be around more people, do more together with their friends.  
Just like he sometimes wishes, she would allow him more often to take her hands in his, to have his arm around her. Of course, they also do hold hands and he also does put his arm around her every now and then, it's just that generally she's so caught up with everyone else that she doesn't stay all that close to him, even if he would like her to. Sometimes, she frees her hands from his to be able to do her stuff which is fine but... Sometimes, he just wishes she would be as much into physical contact as he is, without anything inappropriate happening in front of others.  
But they just imagine a relationship different in some points and make compromises. That's what you do in a relationship. You compromise.  
So, he now also shrugs: "Okay, then. I'll still come by late afternoon."


	3. Dislike

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello!  
> Yes, this chapter is here faster than said beforehand. I hope, I'll have the other finished for the next weekend, so I can possibly get back to my usual rythm of once a week then. ;)  
> Have fun reading this one!

Beck has an afternoon class on Wednesday with Jade, but doesn't get around to talk to her.  
After school, he only shortly goes home, tells his parents he will be at Tori's like they have permitted him, then he drives over to his girlfriend's house.  
They do have a good evening together with Andre, and the song he and Tori sing is awesome. And Andre actually leaves shortly before Beck has to get home, and he decides to stay just a little longer to still have time alone with Tori which he enjoys very much.  
Of course, his parents aren't happy with him coming back home after curfew and he gets grounded for the next week.  
His parents are pretty much the one annoying thing in his life. Yes, he loves them, but they are way too strict. He is sixteen now and they still watch his every step, always want to know where he is and who's with him and have very strict times for him. He hates it.  
And for some reason, as he lies in bed that night and has that thought, he suddenly also thinks about Jade who has said he has a picture perfect life. Well... The strictness of his parents certainly doesn't make a broken home, but it's also not like everything is running smoothly in his life.  
So, he decides to tell Jade about it after she has talked about some of those things going bad in her life.  
When she comes into school, he already stands at her locker with coffees for both of them in his hands. He hands her the one with the two sugars in it without a greeting and she takes a sip and seems satisfied, as she opens her locker.  
"I found one thing in my life that also sucks," he then tells her.  
She promptly cocks an eyebrows, looking at him amused. "Really?"  
"Yeah," he answers, watching the small smile on her lips. "My parents are watching me like crazy. I always have to tell them where I go with whom and how long I plan to stay and they have to approve first."  
"Really?" Jade asks again, now unbelievingly.  
He nods. "Yeah. They are super strict. That's going on my nerves."  
"I'm getting annoyed just hearing you talk about it," Jade says, which makes Beck smile.  
He confesses something that otherwise only Tori knows: "I even thought about moving into my dad's RV to be slightly away from them. You know, to also be able to comepletely leave for a weekend or something, and to just not live under there roof anymore, wall to wall. But... well..."  
He shrugs and Jade draws her eyebrows together. "Why didn't you do it?"  
He shrugs again. He doesn't really know. He has considered it but it hadn't seemed like the smartest idea as he could've imagined the relationship to his parents getting really bad because of it. He had then talked to Tori about it who had told him it would be dumb for him to move into some RV. He hadn't done it in the end.  
"I would do that if my mother would be like that," Jade now carelessly says. "Maybe, that would show them that it just doesn’t work like that anymore, that you are old enough to make your own decisions.“  
The thing is, he believes her. He believes that she would actually do it, that she wouldn't even hesitate.  
"You're right," he says.  
She smirks: "Get used to it. I always am."  
And by now, she has gotten the book out of her locker that she apparently needs, now closes the locker and walks away from him, leaving him with a smile.

He shares a class with her again this morning, but they sit far away from each other and Tori talks to him before and after the lesson anyway, as they also share that class. They share most of them this morning and therefore, go to lunch together.  
Beck and Tori have just sat down when Jade joins them silently. Andre and Robbie follow them not too long after while Tori luckily hasn't tried talking to Jade again though Beck knows she only could've done bare seconds more in silence. Tori isn't one to just be able to not talk for some time. And of course she also could've talked to Beck but that's not what she would've done, Beck is sure.  
He’s glad that Andre and Robbie are now there.  
Andre also directly turns to Jade though: "Hey, we wanted to ask you... you were so fast out of the room just now, but Robbie and I wondered if you would like to do that assignment with the both of us."  
"No," Jade immediately says decisevly.  
"Why not?" Andre asks confused.  
Jade answers: "Because I'm doing it alone." Well, that's not really a reason.  
Rex now suggests: "You could also do it with me."  
Jade looks up with a glare. "I would eat my own eyes before I would do that."  
Okay, whoa. "No need to be rude," Rex says easily while Robbie actually looks scared because of that answer. But Jade hasn't said something along those lines to working with Robbie and Andre. Just to working with Rex, who is a puppet and whom Robbie lets act quite awful a lot of times.  
Now, Tori has to cut in though, scolding: "That's really awful to say."  
"Has anyone asked you?" Jade gives back and Tori looks offended once more: "It's just... You're sitting at our table, you know..."  
Jade raises her eyebrows as she interrupts: "Do you own it? Is your name attached somewhere?"  
Tori opens her mouth, but is obviously at a loss of words. Beck sees Andre and Robbie sharing a look. Beck himself wants to cut in but he isn't sure, what to do. He has never had anyone rile Tori up like this and even when she isn't as angry at someone, he's never really able to calm her down or to stop her. That's just not in his power.  
Luckily, Cat now interrupts them, sitting down and saying: "Hiiii!"  
"Hey, Cat," Andre quickly greets back and Robbie directly asks after Cat's last class and they do manage to get Tori onto another topic while Jade gets back to her food silently.

 

When Beck arrives at Jade's locker on Friday, it's changed. It isn't blank anymore but plastered with quite a few scissors, two of them even having been stuck into it.  
As he hands Jade her coffee this morning, which she again accepts with the two sugars, he directly asks: "So, what is this about?"  
He has never seen a locker like that - and barely sees anyone decorating theirs within the first week. She must have done it yesterday afternoon as he's sure he has passed her locker right after lunch to go to class and hasn't noticed anything.  
"I love scissors," she says, shrugging, as she opens her locker.  
"Why?" he asks interested.  
"Why not?" she replies and then: "What's your locker about?"  
He makes a gesture to the lockers across the hall where his is located. "It's transparent." She follows his gesture with her gaze, has to lean to the side, but then seems to see it. He explains: "I'm not having any secrets, neither has my locker."  
Jade's eyes jump back to him. "Everyone has secrets."  
He shrugs. "I don't."  
She narrows her eyes at him. Obviously she doesn't believe him. Well, as he truly doesn't have any secrets, he easily is able to look back at her openely.  
Only after a while, her gaze wanders over his shoulder and she dryly says: "Your girlfriend is staring at us."  
He turns around and he finds Tori standing at her own locker. He quickly checks his watch. Okay, he isn't too late. They only definitely meet up before their first class on Monday and on Friday as they share their first class then. They have long agreed on a time, at which they meet at her locker every Monday and every Friday. It's still two minutes before that time but he guesses, if Tori is waiting for him (and she is staring at them), he can also go over to her now.  
"Well, I think I should go then. I wish you a great day. See you at lunch."  
"Sure," she just answers before she looks back into her locker, taking a sip out of her coffee cup.  
He walks through the hall to Tori and they share a short kiss as a greeting, before Tori tentatively asks: "Were you talking to Jade?"  
"Yeah," he answers because he obviously was.  
"Why?" she asks and he shrugs. Why do you talk to anyone?  
He gets that Tori doesn't like Jade, because she deems her rude and everything, but Beck doesn't feel the same, finds it rather amusing instead, and he definitely doesn't want to argue about that.  
So, he just says: "But I'm here now."  
Tori tilts her head and there is a hint of insecurity. "Usually, you're here early and wait for me." He knows that she doesn't expect him to wait for her but that she likes it nonetheless that he's always at her locker first.  
And sure enough: Usually, he waits there for her as soon as he arrives in school in the mornings which is always quite early. He's bored at home anyway, which is why he gets to school early. And then he's bored here in school and the only thing there is to do is to wait for his girlfriend. He sometimes gets around to talk to one of his friends while he waits for Tori but that's pretty much all the excitement he gets. Though he sometimes wishes, Tori would also want to meet up before class on the other days of the week. At least, he gets to talk to his girlfriend on Mondays and Fridays while Tori has other stuff on her mind on the other days, always has to talk to other people. While he stands bored at his own locker or already sits in his own first class, waiting for something to happen.  
So, naturally, he waits for her on Mondays and Fridays as soon as he can because it's something. And of course because he knows it makes her happy and he loves making her happy.  
"I'm sorry," he now says, taking her hands in his, which she lets happen. But there's nothing more to say and gently, he suggests: "Let's get to class, okay?"  
"Yeah," she answers and he kisses her cheek before they get going.

At lunch today, Cat, Tori, Robbie and Jade are already sitting at the table when Beck and Andre arrive. Beck is glad to see Jade again - and to already see her sitting there. Before, she has always only joined them after Back sat down, and Beck got the impression that she also only waited exactly for that.  
Now, she's already sitting there but of course not even greets him when he says 'hi' to the group.  
They start talking, Andre, Tori, Robbie and Cat mainly and for some reason, they start talking about The Flintstones and Andre starts singing the theme songs with the others joining in happily.  
Beck only hums the melody as he watches his friends smiling.  
It's when they still laugh afterwards, that Jade speaks up, having raised her eyebrows: "So, you are friends because you are all weird."  
It's a statement, not a question, and it comes out of nowhere. Though Beck totally gets why she's saying that. Yes, his friends are weird. Not just right now. Cat is obviously very weird, as is Robbie with Rex. Andre also gets way overexcited with music which also is impressive and stuff, but nonetheless weird as well. And Tori can be weird, too, does get overly friendly, sometimes acts in a facade she herself deems true though it's not. Beck loves her but it is weird sometimes.  
"How am I weird?" he asks though.  
Jade looks to him, shrugs, and says with a smirk: "You're dating her." She nods into Tori's direction next to him.  
And he almost smiles. He knows by the look in Jade's eyes that she also deems him weird because of other things, but this is how she is. She says stuff like that. And he has to say that it amuses him. He knows it's not nice for Tori but it's a harmless joke.  
Tori now cuts in though: "Hey! Why are you sitting with us anyway if you think we're weird and you obviously don't like us?"  
Beck hasn't gotten the impression that Jade doesn't like them. She does talk to him. She does do the singing project with Cat.  
Jade's gaze wanders over to Tori and she spits out: "Because your boyfriend is bribing me with coffee. But whatever. I'm leaving now."  
She stands up, grabs her stuff, done with her food anyway, and tells Beck: "Our deal is fulfilled anyway."  
And she leaves.  
Beck looks after her for a few seonds, then to Tori who returns his look accusingly.  
"What is she talking about?" she asks.  
He fleetingly looks to his friends, who also look back questioningly, and he slowly answers: "Well... I told her she should eat lunch with us her first week in exchange for coffee."  
Tori crosses her arms in front of her and Beck says: "Come on. I was trying to make her feel welcomed."  
That's what Tori initially wanted to do anyway. She wanted to befriend Jade.  
"Really?" she now asks though, not believing him at all. As if he could have had other motives than wanting the new girl to feel welcomed at their school.  
And well... he has had other motives. Jade seems interesting and he's bored and he has wanted to get to know her. But it's nothing bad.  
Suddenly, he understands that Tori doesn't only dislike Jade because she's rude and their characters just don't match. She also dislikes her because she feels that Beck doesn't. And... Is she afraid that Beck could fall for Jade? Is she jealous?  
She has never been jealous before though he has tried to provoke it every now and then. Of course, he loves how much she trusts him. It's great that she's never sceptical when he's doing any kind of project with a girl in their year. But sometimes, he would've liked some sort of reaction out of her in any form. Just a sign that she wants him for her alone, that he only belongs to her.  
Without a doubt, he doesn't belong to anyone. But sometimes, he thinks he would feel good if his girlfriend would feel like that. Tori usually doesn't. This is the first time, she's ever jealous.  
But it's also not like he gets all that jealous, to be honest. It's probably also how good relationships are supposed to feel like. There should be so much trust that noone would ever need to be jealous - and Tori and he usually never are. They never feel... possessive or alike about the other one.  
The thing is though... Sometimes, he thinks he's actually someone who should feel like that. Like he's someone that does feel possessive if he really loves someone - and that also enjoys the other person to feel like that.  
But he does love Tori, without all of that. Though, it makes him feel a little happy to now see her jealousy.  
Still. He just needs to see this glint. He doesn't actually want her to feel bad.  
So, he takes her hands in his, but she draws back as he says: "You don't have to worry about anything."  
"Who says I do?" she asks.  
Well... Her face says so. And her drawing back. He glances into the direction of his friends and it's not like Tori and he ever fight in front of them or anything. Not that they otherwise fight all that much. They do have a harmonic relationship.  
But that's why he now also doesn't tell her that she's obviously jealous, instead: "I won't bribe her anymore. I really just wanted her to feel welcomed. And I think she does. But whatever. Where were we?"  
He turns to Andre and knows his best friend will have this. He does. Quickly, he gets back to talking about childhood series and as they leave after lunch, Tori lets Beck kiss her again.


	4. The Bird Scene

Beck doesn't really get around to talk to Jade during the next week except very short greetings every now and then. He doesn't think Jade or Tori want him to bring Jade another coffee in the morning and to invite her to eat lunch again with them.  
Jade mostly sits alone at lunch during that week but she also doesn't seem to want to sit with anybody. Beck watches on Monday already a few guys wanting to sit with her and she quickly sending them running with just a few words.  
Cat eats lunch with her on Wednesday. Beck hears Tori ask her about that later and Cat says that they had to talk about their project again - and that she thinks it's sad that Jade always eats alone. Tori answers that Jade obviously doesn't want to eat with anybody, that she doesn't want to have friends, otherwise she already would've taken her original offer of showing her around. Cat just shrugs for that. Beck also thinks it's more complicated with Jade, but he doesn't say anything about it.

On Monday, the third Monday at Hollywood Arts for Jade, Jade is supposed to do the Bird Scene.  
Beck and Tori have met at Tori's locker and have talked a long while just among themselves before they have gone to Sikowitz' class.  
Jade is already there and sits in her chair with crossed arms. Cat arrives only shortly after them and instantly asks Jade: "And? Are you ready for the Bird Scene?"  
"I am," Jade just answers and Beck is sure she is. He already has experienced her as a good actress the last two weeks. Though of course she doesn't know the secret about the Bird Scene and he's interested to see how she will handle it. He can imagine her getting quite angry at Sikowitz as soon as he will tell her she hasn't done the scene right.  
"Best of luck," Cat tells Jade and Jade doesn't even acknowledge it.  
"Good morning, everyone," Sikowitz says as he comes in. "As you all know it's time for our new student to do the Bird Scene. Jade, if you may."  
He makes a gesture as he goes to the back of the room and sits down there. Jade stands up and walks up to the front. She takes a deep breath before her body language changes totally again, as does her voice and her accent.  
Beck can't help but smile as he watches her do the scene, all of them know by heart as all of them have done it a few times. Well... He only had to do it two times until he decided, it had to be good enough and Sikowitz couldn't ask him to do it again without telling him what to change exactly.  
Jade does the scene wonderfully and holds her pose a while after without anyone clapping or otherwise acknowledging the end of the scene.  
She falls out of character and looks at Sikowitz directly, raising her eyebrows. "What? Didn't you like it?"  
Sikowitz tilts his head, seems to think how to answer, before he honestly states: "I think I did."  
"Good," Jade says carelessly. "I can audition for plays then?"  
Okay. She doesn't ask if she has done it right exactly. That's the question that throws you out. She has asked if Sikowitz has liked it, which he always tries to answer honestly. And now she asks if she can audition for plays, which she possibly can as this already could count as her passing, doesn't she even get the idea of asking if she's done it in the right way.  
Beck turns around to Sikowitz to see how he will handle it. He slowly stands up as he answers: "Just because I enjoyed the way you did the scene, doesn't mean you've done it right."  
So, Sikowitz is throwing the word in now. He wants Jade to consider not having it done right. Naturally, she can't pass that easily, nobody can.  
Jade narrows her eyes. "What do you mean?"  
Sikowitz shrugs. "Maybe, you haven't done it right."  
Clearly, he can't say she hasn't done it right, as she hasn't even asked yet. You're only doing it wrong if you ask if you're doing it right.  
Beck looks back to Jade amused. This is going so differently than all the times he has heard off.  
"Maybe?" Jade now asks as if she's sure she must have misheard. "That's stupid. I'm satisfied with how I've done the scene and you just said you liked it as well. I won't do it again."  
She crosses her arms in front of herself.  
Beck looks back to Sikowitz impressed. Wow. Will he let her pass like this? Will Jade actually pass the challange of the Bird Scene on her first try?  
"What if that means you can't audition for any play?" Sikowitz asks her.  
Jade looks almost angry at that. Obviously, she doesn't like that thought, but she decides: "Then this school is more than stupid. I've done a good job and am a good actress. If you wanted the scene in a certain way, you should've told me beforehand. But you didn't and my version was good. If that's the rule, I don't think I want to act in any of this school's awful plays anyway."  
Wow. Beck looks back to Sikowitz, who makes a surprised face and then finally smiles: "Well... I guess you passed the Bird Scene."  
Beck is the first to clap next to Sikowitz and Cat with the rest of the class only joining in slowly and confused. This hasn't gone how anyone would have expected.  
Beck is sure to also see slight confusion in Jade's face as she lets her arms fall again.  
Sikowitz explains the whole deal about the Bird Scene to her and at the end of it, she raises her eyebrows again and makes sure: "So, I am able to audition for plays now?"  
"You are," Sikowitz nods and makes a gesture for her to sit back down which she does.  
And while everyone else now turns back to Sikowitz as he starts with his lesson for the day, Beck watches Jade and how a very true and beautiful smile goes over her face.  
He can't help but smile as well again.

On Tuesday morning, he waits for her at her locker again, a coffee for her in his hand.  
She doesn't say a greeting as she goes past him and opens her locker.  
"In the mood for a coffee with two sugars?" he asks and holding the cup out for her.  
She looks at it, then at him. "I won't eat lunch with you and your friends again."  
For a second, he considers asking why, but actually... "I don't expect you to. I wanted to give this to you because I really liked how you passed the Bird Scene yesterday and because I wanted to tell you that I think you're really a great actress from everything I've seen so far."  
He kind of wants to celebrate with her a little. Obviously, everyone is impressed, almost the whole school knows her name now as she has passed on her first try. But barely anyone will compliment her on it, he guesses, as she sends everyone running anyway.  
"I know," she now says and actually takes the coffee out of his hand.  
She takes a sip as he says with a smile: "I like your confidence." It's endearing. And he has always liked people who know what they are good at. He doesn't like arrogant people who deem themselves smarter than everyone or better than everyone at something. But he likes people who knows they are good at something and are able to say so. Like Andre would never deny his talent in music.  
She looks at him for a second as if to check if he's honest or ironic, then she actually says: "You're also not a bad actor from what I've seen. You are the best in that class."  
He has to smile again. "Thanks." He knows she means it which is wonderful. "Maybe, we'll be in a play together soon. Now, that you're able to audition."  
She shrugs. "We'll see." And she's done at her locker again, closes it and leaves him standing there again, with him looking after her for too long.

They do talk every now and then from then on. Sometimes right before a class, sometimes in the hallway. She never starts talking to him, but he somehow soon gets from the way she answers him to a greeting if she's ready to talk or not. They mainly talk about their classes, about their assignments. Little things, actually small talk though she says she doesn't like it.  
They never talk when Tori is around somehow. Beck still says 'hi' every now and then but Jade ignores him then.  
Cat talks to Jade all the time. And she also succeeds in getting her to their lunch table again twice during that week, just shows up with her and starts talking to everyone else while Jade sits there in silence and eats.  
Maybe, Jade does warm up to their whole group though. Beck still thinks she has never disliked them. Maybe, she will be part of the group one day. Beck likes her around in any case, for some reason.  
Tori doesn't. A week later on Tuesday, Cat waves for Jade as she passes them. "Jade. Why don't you sit with us?"  
Jade just glares at her, obviously isn't in the mood today, and just keeps going and sits down at the other end of the Asphalt Café.  
"Why do you always try to talk to her? She doesn't seem to like you," Tori now says, watching Jade with dislike.  
Beck draws his eyebrows together. Jade does seem to like Cat in a way. Obviously, that doesn't mean that she isn't rude to Cat or glares at her like this... But it's also not like their group of friends always patiently listens when Cat starts talking about her brother again. Robbie is the one keeping up with it best, everyone else show much more how annoyed they are at times - or just ignore Cat which Beck sometimes deems worse but it's also not like he always feels in the mood for Cat's stories.  
Jade is just more direct, he guesses. And more moody. She isn't this overly friendly person like Tori is.  
Cat shrugs, possibly is a little hurt by Tori's comment though she barely shows. "I wanna be her friend."  
"Why? She is mean," Tori says.  
And that's a good question. Beck considers her interesting and also feels barely ever offended when someone is rude to him. Cat on the other hand is easily offended and why does she keep up with Jade then? Why does she try to get close to her?  
Cat tilts her head and innocently states: "She is. But she's a better person than you think and... She's also very pure."  
Beck turns back around to look at Jade alone at her table. Pure. Yeah, maybe that's a word that can fit. And Cat, who somehow knows people better than anyone, considers Jade exactly that.  
He smiles slightly. Jade is a strange girl. So rough and rude. But yes, undoubtedly, she's also very pure.  
Tori doesn't seem to get it, also looks to Jade, then back to Cat, with a furrowed brow.  
It's Robbie, who interrupts this time: "Anyway... Will we all meet up today again?"

Jade joins them for lunch again on Thursday and apparently, not without a reason this time. Sure enough, Cat has brought her again, but they all have stopped talking for a second, when Jade speaks up: "Has anyone of you ever been to the Gorilla Club?"  
She apparently wants to hear opinions on that club and they are probably the only people she talks to at all in this city. Naturally, they are the ones, she asks now.  
"No," they all say though. They have never been.  
Jade raises her eyebrows as she looks around the table: "None of you? Really? I heard it's fun."  
"I always wanted to go," Andre says with a shrug. Well, Beck hasn't known that. But Andre is a guy who likes danger every now and then. As is Beck. But he has known that Robbie and Tori wouldn't have wanted to go, so he never really brought it up.  
"Isn't it dangerous?" Tori asks sceptically.  
"That's the point," Jade dryly states. "It sounds like fun. What do you do if you have time?"  
Okay, Beck feels embarrassed already. It's not like he cares what other people think of him but... somehow, it's different right now.  
Robbie already shrugs and truthfully though possibly also a little embarrassed, says: "Play cards?"  
"Honestly?" Jade asks and definitely doesn't want to believe them there.  
It is a little weird. They don't go anywhere together all that much. The movies sometimes, sure. But barely to a club or something.  
Andre now says exactly what Beck thinks: "Well, we should do something else every once in a while."  
They should. Not just spend time together at someone's home (Tori's mostly) and make music and play cards. Not just go to the movies or for something usual to eat. They should go to a club somewhere. And maybe they have just missed a person to suggest exactly that.  
At least, Cat also seems to be on board and now suggests: "Why don't we all go there together?"  
She includes Jade in that, who actually nods while Andre agrees as well.  
"Sure," Tori also quickly says and Beck looks to her and knows she doesn't really want to.  
They agree on a time to meet at that club tomorrow afternoon, before they start talking about different things again.

Beck has invited Tori out for dinner again today and nobody else has barged in, so that they are actually enjoying a quiet meal alone, which doesn't happen all that often.  
They are in a nice little restaurant and after a while, Tori asks carefully: "Are you sure you wanna go to the Gorilla Club?"  
He looks at her for a moment, considers just saying he doesn't and he would stay home with her but... he does want to go.  
So, he nods. "I am. You don't have to come with us, though. Robbie's also not coming."  
Robbie has directly said he doesn't want to go there. He has said something weird about a family emergency though they've all known he's just afraid which is totally fine. He doesn't have to come. Rex of course promised he would be there and Beck is sure Robbie still won't show up and Rex will also have an excuse ready after the weekend - probably something mean about Robbie.  
"No. I'm coming," Tori says and... Sometimes, it's exhausting. He's sure, even if he would've said he wouldn't go... if Andre and Cat would've still planned to go to the Gorilla Club with Jade, she also would've wanted to go there. She just isn't able to be excluded in any form of anything going on in their group of friends. She likes to be the person everyone comes to with problems and she likes to be involved in everyone's lives. Which is fine and something, Beck often even likes about her, but... at other times, it's also so exhausting.  
Like when he wants to be alone with her but she needs to go with him to whereever two of their friends hang out together. Or like now, when she obviously doesn't want to go somewhere herself but joins anyway because the others are going.  
It irritates him a little as she feels nervous and uncomfortable and he actually does want to experience the Gorilla Club himself but he almost already sees himself ending up making sure she doesn't get hurt.  
Which is also fine every now and then. He likes taking care of her. But not always. Not tomorrrow.

He actually doesn't end up taking too much care of her. He watches her at first but Jade challenges all of them to all the different things though she's also there for the very first time. And all the challenges and Jade keeping everything interesting and exciting the whole time through, makes him truly forget about Tori in between. He just has fun in a way he barely ever has.


	5. Fighting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back to the chapter, where it's all going gone.  
> I hope you will like it. Enjoy!

Jade and Beck are in a script writing class together and Jade has actually agreed to write on their new assignment together.  
She's now at Hollywood Arts for a month and has joined them for lunch on her own during last week. The Gorilla Club actually has brought them closer with her a little. Andre now also talks to her more freely, while he has been careful before. And also Robbie seems to warm up to Jade, even though he hasn't even been at the club.  
But it's mainly Jade that changes slightly and actually starts making comments every now and then while the others talk, involving herself.  
Now, he and she leave the classroom together and she directly says: "We'll write a horror movie."  
He raises his eyebrows in surprise. "You're just deciding that?" It hasn't sounded as if she wanted to give her opinion but as if she wanted to inform him what their script would be about.  
She nods. "Yes."  
"I think we should talk about it," he quickly says. He may like her decisive attitude but this is about a school assignment he will get a grade on. He does want to also have to say something about it.  
He continues reasonably: "We are supposed to do something about feelings and to pick up on some clichés, turning them upside down, but still staying in the same genre. A romantic comedy or something alike would make much more sense."  
"It would be the easy way out," Jade says. "Everyone will write something along those lines. We're going to write a horror short film."  
"I don't know any horror," he says, hoping that she will understand that that means he's not capable of writing anything in that direction.  
"Why?" she asks with raised eyebrows. "Have never watched it because you're too wimpy?"  
Okay, why does she have to insult him like that when they are trying to agree on the script they'll write together? Why doesn't she seem ready to talk about some compromise regarding this?  
"Because horror movies are dumb," he says, slightly irritated, and she instantly stops and turns to him with a deadpan stare.  
"Really?" she asks in a threatening tone. "You are prettty dumb if you consider a whole genre as dumb."  
"I don't..." he starts because he doesn't necessarily think of horror movies as dumb, he has just said so because he's irritated.  
She cuts through him though: "You just said, it's dumb! Idiot!"  
And she starts walking again, right in the direction of her locker.  
He quickly follows her, asking with a raised voice: "Can you stop with the insults for just once?"  
"What? Feel hurt, wimp?" she asks, cocking an eyebrow over her shoulder at him, and he rolls his eyes.  
Then, he sighs, trying to calm himself down a little bit again, and getting back on topic. "Let's just do something normal."  
She huffs as she stops in front of her locker, him coming to a halt next to her. "Let's just not work together."  
Well, and of course that's an option but why can't they just work this out? He would love to do a project together with her. And she has agreed after all.  
"Come on, Jade," he says. "Let's try to come up with something together."  
She glares again. "You're calling my favorite genre dumb and abnormal and still expect me to work with you? Sure."  
And whoa. He has actually offended her when he has exasperated told her he thought of horror as dumb - after her insult. He hasn't counted on that, but yes, she has gotten slightly more rough after that.  
"Sorry," he honestly says and tries to explain himself: "It's just that... I've never wrtten horror and haven't watched many movies. And anyway, with the way the assignment was made... I'm sure our teacher expects us to do a romantic comedy or something."  
Jade draws her eyebrows together, leaning against the locker next to hers, watching him. "And we should do what he expects? What kind of goody-goody are you?"  
And no. He doesn't always want to do what is expected off of him but it would be easier if they would do as expected. Though... Why take the easy way out? Why not try something else? Jade will know the horror genre well enough to probably be able to guide him through it... Maybe, it would even be fun not to do the normal thing, not to do the thing everyone does.  
"Well..." he now slowly says, still thinking about it. "How about we meet up later and you tell me about your ideas for the script?"  
"And then I'll do the whole assignment and you get my good grade as well without doing anything for it," Jade dryly says, not convinced at all. Wow, she can be negative.  
"No," he answers. "I'll think about all of this until then and try to get into the horror genre a little bit more. Maybe, I can get on board with it if I just know more about it."  
"Okay," she answers with a shrug, turning back to her locker.

They meet up later that day in a fast food place and then again, the next afternoon at his house.  
He sees his mother, who is home at the time, raising her eyebrows at the strange girl, and she asks him, after Jade is gone again, who she is.  
"A new friend," he answers with a shrug though he isn't too sure of Jade would call herself a friend of his.  
"You shouldn't be friends with someone like that," his mother says and he grits his teeth. Is she serious? Will she now tell him who to be friends with?  
"Well... We're doing an assignment for class together," he says and his mother replies: "Do that but don't let yourself be dragged down by someone like her."  
Okay. He decides to say nothing more to that and leaves for his room. He is angry though. And that after the rest of the day has gone so well.  
He slowly does get into the horror genre. It never was like he hated it. He just never had much reason to watch it. His friends and his girlfriend favor romantic comedies or comedies in general, Andre possibly a few action movies. And he barely watches any movie just by himself.  
Jade meanwhile knows every horror movie and has told him of a few he now has also watched and actually liked very much.  
And now, Jade and he are working on a horror script, picking up on some horror clichés, almost making it a parody but actually still having it been scary. It's a big challenge and Beck loves it.  
She has told him much more about the genre and he finds it surprinsingly easy to write something scary and creepy himself. He has written a short scene for today and Jade has read it and has actually loved it. He hasn't seen her smile like that before and her eyes lit up like that.  
"Good that I got you into this. You have talent for it," she said.  
He likes it. He realizes he actually likes the thrill he gets when he watches horror movies. It's not as boring as so many other movies.

Which is why, as he and Tori are finally again alone at her house and have decided on watching a movie, he suggests, after she has gotten out a collection of her DVDs: "We could also watch some horror movie."  
He has already watched every movie on the table and why not watch something different, they can find on the internet?  
"A horror movie?" Tori asks sceptically though.  
"Yeah," he answers. "Why not?" He knows she's not totally opposed to those. They have once caught one together on TV.  
Tori scoots a little away from him on the couch. "Has Jade got that much influence on you?"  
"What do you mean?" he asks confused.  
Tori answers as if it was obvious: "She likes horror and suddenly, you like it too."  
Well, and it's not like that. He doesn't just like it because Jade likes it or something. He does have his own opinions.  
"You know I like all sorts of genres," he says because he does and he always has - even though he only really has found himself in the horror genre because of Jade. "And I'm just in the mood for a horror movie."  
"You know you're not very good at lying," Tori says and that's ridiculous.  
"I'm not lying!" he clearly states with a raised voice. It's not like he never lies but he barely does because he doesn't see much point in it. And he's definitely not lying now. He doesn't like Tori claiming he does.  
Tori just looks at him, biting her lip. She doesn't say anything anymore. She never does, whenever he raises his voice even slightly. He doesn't do that often and it's almost as if Tori doesn't dare to keep arguing then, as if him raising his voice is a warning for something bad to come.  
He takes a deep breath, doesn't want her to be scared of him or anything like that, then he points randomly to one of the DVDs she has spread on the table in front of them. "Let's just watch that one."  
"Are you sure?" she gently asks and he nods.  
She gets up, puts the DVD in and they start watching, her leaning into him like he likes it.  
He's still thinking about their little argument though. She always stops talking when he even raises his voice a little bit. It of course also hasn't been an important topic now. It's not actually all that important what movie they watch as long as they are together.  
Tori also does this whenever it's important to her though. She doesn't keep argueing even then, as soon as he gets slightly louder. And that is always the thing that makes him give in. He is the one to quickly paddle back then, to make sure Tori is still fine, to give her whatever she wants.  
Suddenly, he wonders if Jade ever would stop, ever would look at him with big eyes, just because he raises his voice in an argument every once in a while. If he would have to give in with her because he would feel bad otherwise, because he would be worried to have scared her.

 

He wonders more and more. Not just about stuff Jade might or might not do. But suddenly, he thinks that some things would probably be different with her than with Tori - and they annoy him more and more with Tori.  
It's not like their relationship has been perfect, before Jade has shown up. There always have been things that have annoyed Beck, even though their relationship has seemed so perfect. But he has always pushed them back. He does love Tori after all and they are the perfect couple in a way, aren't they? Yet...  
He doesn't know if a relationship with a girl like Jade would do him better. He doesn't know if Jade would even be interested in a relationship with him. But he would like to try out. And even if it wouldn't work out then... The more he thinks about Tori and his relationship with her, the more annoyed he gets at all the little things and he knows that that just isn't something he wants for the rest of his life.  
He doesn't want to... always easily compromise, draw back from every argument, sparsely spend time alone and always take care of his girlfriend. He doesn't want this relationship where there are never times where they practically cling to each other and where there's never (or only just now) any jealousy, no feeling of possessiveness. He doesn't want to be... bored. Maybe, it's that.  
His whole life is boring. He doesn't want a boring relationship. And yes, he does love Tori but... maybe more as a friend. He does like spending time with her. But there never has been that great spark or anything and suddenly he thinks, there should have been. There should be fire between them but there isn't.  
He knows it's crazy to give up a perfectly safe and deeply trusting relationship but he also finally gets that Tori isn't the one for him and he thinks he shouldn't be together with a girl he doesn't love in that certain way. Even if that means he will have to stay alone forever, as he possibly never will find that girl.  
Though there's still Jade in his mind. Jade who seems dangerous and decisive and interesting and exciting. Like a person you can clash with and then draw back close. Like a person, who easily sparks fires all around.

But before he even asks Jade what she thinks about possibly dating, he knows he has to end it with Tori. And it's not like that's easy for him.  
When he comes visiting her on Sunday, he directly sits her down. He's glad to not have seen her parents' cars outisde. They must both be away and won’t be able to interrupt them. And he doesn't see Trina anywhere, which is also good. Though he hopes the other girl is close by, so that Tori will have someone there. He knows this will break her heart.  
He takes a deep breath, before he says it, getting to the point right away: "I'm breaking up with you."  
Tori's face freezes. Her whole body tenses up. Beck wishes he could take the pain away before it completely hits her.  
"Why?"  
"Because it's not working," he says but she shakes her head: "Don't lie to me. It has worked for over a year. You're breaking up with me because of Jade."  
"No," he says because Jade isn't the reason. Though... "And yes. Meeting her just made me realize that I don't love you the way I should."  
"But you love her?" Tori asks with a broken look in her face.  
"Well, no," he answers. "I don't know her well enough." He can't just love her like that.  
"Why are you breaking up with me then?" Tori asks.  
He takes another deep breath, before he answers: "Because I'm not in love with you and I can finally see that. It would be unfair to both of us to stay together anyway."  
He doesn't want to be the hero here but he does think this is the fair thing to do.  
"Leave," Tori softly says as tears well up in her eyes.  
"I'm sorry," he says earnestly and she turns away.  
"Please leave."  
He swallows hard before he gets up and leaves without another word.

 

On Monday, he tells his parents over breakfast that he broke up with Tori, which doesn't make them happy. They ask if anything happened, which didn't, and they start argueing about it which is so weird. But they have really liked Tori and have gotten along with her great.  
That's the reason he gets into school a little later than usual. And he directly hears Tori's voice loudly: "What did you do to him?"  
"Nothing," Jade's voice comes, annoyed. "He's old enough to make his own choices."  
Beck sees Jade and Tori both at Jade's locker, Tori obviously having approached the other girl there. Tori looks like she has just started crying, though angrily, while Jade returns the look annoyed. The whole school seems to watch them.  
"You showed up in your miniskirts and tops showing your big cleavage and suddenly, he thinks he's in love with you," Tori just now says.  
Jade looks disgusted. "I'm dressing this way because I like it, not to steal your stupid boyfriend. Now piss off."  
For a second, Beck thinks Tori will attack Jade, but then she does turn around and stomps off.  
Beck swallows and steps up to Jade while everyone else in the hallway finally turns back to their own things. "Hey."  
Jade glares at him. "You piss off, too."  
She turns back to her locker and angrily stuffs a book in there.  
"I'm sorry for her," Beck earnestly says and Jade instantly glares at him again.  
"No," she says. "You should be sorry for your own behaviour. Breaking up with her because of me?"  
That doesn't seem to sit right with Jade and Beck is quick to say: "I didn't do that."  
She narrows her eyes at him: “So you don’t plan on asking me out, maybe right now, maybe after some ‘appropriate’ time after just having broken up with the girl you supposedly loved?”  
“Well...” he says helplessly because... Yes, he wants to ask her out eventually. She must know by Tori’s words and by his behaviour around her that must have shown that he is attracted to her. But it sounds harsh in the way Jade says it and he doesn’t know how to answer.  
He also doesn’t need to say any more.  
Jade turns back to her locker, grabs another book there and pushes it violently into her bag. "Don't think you get to decide alone, who dates you. I won't, just because you broke up with her. I do have something to say about this as well."  
"I know that," he says because he does. Obviously, it's not just his decision. “I didn't just break up with her, so I can possibly date you."  
"She understood differently," Jade spits out.  
"She understood wrong," he is quick to say.  
Tori just isn’t the right girl for him, that’s the whole point. He also would’ve broken up with her without Jade being around – as soon as he would’ve noticed, which probably would’ve taken a little longer. But in the end, it was just a matter of time.  
Jade looks even angrier now, though. "Because it's always the girl who's in the wrong with you, right? Yeah, wow. That makes me want to date you."  
Okay, that's not what he has said or meant at all. That's definitely not true.  
But Jade is angry now and... "You want to misunderstand me right now."  
Jade shuts her locker close and as she walks past him, she clearly states: "Leave me the fuck alone."


	6. Dating

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello!  
> I wanted to upload this over the last weekend, but as you see, I wasn't able to manage that.  
> Thank you for the kudos and the two bookmarks!  
> So, here's the last chapter, which I'm as anxious about as the one before. I myself am just so picky with endings, which is why I understand if others are as well. I really hope you'll enjoy this!

Neither Tori nor Jade are speaking to him anymore.  
He doesn't really try talking to Tori. He tells her hi at some point but he's fine with her not answering. He would love for her to stay his friend because she’s one of his best friends but he can understand if she can't do that. It's more than understandable that she feels angry and hurt because of him.  
He does try talking to Jade but she always tells him to go away and if he doesn't, she leaves herself.  
After a week, he decides, he can't do anything about it. If she doesn't want to listen to him, he can't force her to. He would like for her to understand that the break-up was inevitable in his view and therefore hasn't had too much to do with her. That he's not a guy to only break up with a girl because another girl comes along. A guy that otherwise possibly stays with a girl despite not loving her, until another girl comes along. A guy that would also stay with her despite not loving her anymore one day.  
He thinks that could be what she thinks, that that's what makes her angry but as she doesn't want to listen...

At the beginning of the third week after the break-up, Tori sees him as he's talking to Andre at his locker, and quickly leaves. She still starts crying sometimes; it only has been two weeks now. He wishes he could do something about it. But the only thing he can think of is pushing his friends to spend more time with Tori than with him. To sit with her at lunch, not with him. Tori obviously doesn't want to eat lunch with him anymore, so... He hates that this makes the group fall apart. The group that has existed way before Tori and he have gotten together.  
Andre now follows Tori with his eyes and after a moment, gently asks: "So, Jade doesn't want to date you, right? Why don't you get back together with Tori then? She really loves you."  
They haven't spoken about it before. Tori has obviously told the others that he has broken up with her because of Jade. Which isn't totally true but he hasn't put much energy into correcting her in front of their friends. It's also not like they have accused him of having done anything bad. They haven't commented on the break-up at all. Probably, because they’d also like to stay friends with both of them and don’t want to be forced to take a side.  
"I know," Beck answers. "And I really love her. But not like that. Not the way I should. This isn't just about Jade."  
Though she is the reason he has noticed.  
"What is it about?" Andre asks. "You and Tori always seemed like the perfect couple."  
Beck has thought about this. Before the break-up and also during the last two weeks. He’s had so much time to think about all of it. But he doesn't know how much sense his thoughts make, so he just says: "I guess we were. But... she isn't the girl I want to spend the rest of my life with."  
Andre furrows his brows. "And Jade is?"  
"I don't know," Beck honestly says because how can he know? He only knows Jade for barely two months, has never been on a date with her, has barely met her outside of school at all and also hasn't talked too much with her in school. Though... "Maybe, she is. At least, I feel different about her than about Tori. Tori feels more like family." And always has. There never has been any kind of spark.  
Andre doesn't get it. He shrugs. "Maybe, that's what the girl of your dreams is supposed to feel like."  
And Beck is sure, the girl of your dreams is supposed to feel like family in a way but... not like a sister or something.  
"I'm sure she is but not like that," he therefore says. "I don't know. I can't get back together with Tori. I never will."  
Andre doesn't seem happy about that. Of course, he isn't. Tori also is one of his best friends. He can't like seeing her hurt. Not to mention that he also must hate seeing their group of friends fall apart.  
But Beck can't get too concerned because suddenly, Jade is with them. Beck isn't sure where she comes from, but she looks directly at him and suddenly says: "Hold out your arm."  
He's surprised but he does and she grabs it and pulls him with her. He has just enough time to share a confused glance with Andre, then he gets dragged into the janitor's closet.  
Jade lets go of him in there and shuts the door behind them.  
"So, you broke up with her because you actually don't love her? And you also don’t want to ever get back with her, no matter if you’re dating someone else or not?" she asks.  
He wonders if she has overheard them talking and if so, why she was listening at all and how much she heard. But at least, she seems ready to talk now and he's more than ready to give answers.  
"Right."  
She narrows her eyes at him. "Why were you together with her for a year then?"  
"Because I didn't realize. I always thought I loved her. And in a way I do. She's one of my best friends." And he speaks his thoughts like he hasn't in front of Andre because maybe, Jade'll understand. "But I think our relationship was grounded on a lot of expectations from others. Everyone thought we were perfect for each other, so we were. But... I don't know. I feel like I should love her in a different way."  
Jade seems to consider that, then, sceptical: "And you think you could love me like that?"  
And that's a big question. They don't know each other that well. He knows his answer could scare her away and yet... she must have overheard some of his and Andre's talk and it was that that probably made her drag him here to talk to him. She must know what his answer will be because he already told Andre just now. But maybe she wants to look him into his eyes while he says so. She does watch him closely.  
And he answers truthfully: "I think so. I definitely already feel differently about you and... it feels right."  
It's as if she's waiting for a sign that he's lying, that he's toying with her, that this is some scheme. But she can't seem to find one, as she finally, almost carefully, says: "Well, if you want to, we can see where it's going."  
He needs a second. Has he understood her right?  
"You're willing to go on a date with me?"  
An every so slight smile goes over her face. "Yeah."

They agree on talking about the details later and on Wednesday he has found something that he thinks she could like.  
There is a new horror movie out and he awaits her with a coffee on Wednesday morning, mentions the title as she takes it out of his hand and then asks: "Why don't we go see that together?"  
Jade cocks an eyebrow, considering him again, then she decides: "Don't expect me to cuddle up to you all afraid or something."  
He smiles. "I don't." Having Jade cuddle up to him afraid certainly would be an experience, but... he knows she finds horror movies rather funny. And even if she gets shocked by some things, she probably never would grab the person next to her.  
"I do expect you to talk to me about it afterwards over dinner," he states and she tilts her head and smiles as well after a moment: "Sure."

Their date goes great. They kiss for the first time shortly before they go into the movie theater and Beck knows he has never been kissed like that. It literally takes his breath away.  
And Jade also seems to need a moment before she says though: "Don't think we will make out during the movie. I do want to watch this thing."  
Which he also does and they do. They kind of do make out in front of her front door after a long dinner as he brings her home.  
He comes home just in time which he's glad about as his parents would otherwise have called - and not only him but also Andre as he has told them he would be at his place. He remembers his mother's reaction to meeting Jade at all too well. Her and his father's reaction to him now dating Jade won't be nice, he knows. So, he first wanted to see if there was anything at all. He now knows, there is, so he guesses he will tell them before the next date.  
Jade and he both have casually mentioned going on a second date already and he's exciited how that will go when he's home from the first.

They went on that date on Friday and on Monday in school, Andre approaches him: "Did you actually go on that date with her?"  
He has briefly warned him on Friday over texts that he's lying to his parents to go on a date with Jade. He has been sure Andre would ask him about all that today. If only because Beck barely ever lies, especially to his parents. He never needed anyone to cover for him - while he got asked several times by his friends, Andre more than anyone, to cover for them. Which also counts as lying which is one of the rare times he does it.  
"Yes," Beck now answers him, though a little confused as to how Andre asked the question as if they have just talked about Jade. Which they haven't. They haven't even seen each other today before now.  
Andre pulls a face. "You've just broken up with Tori."  
Tori. Gosh, he hasn't thought about her anymore since Jade has agreed on going on a date with him. Sure, he has thought about her in the sense that they see each other every day in school and he's sorry she's still hurt but... yes, Andre is right. He has just broken up with her. And he's already dating another girl.  
"I know. But we are broken up," he tries to justify himself. It's not like he's dating two girls at the same time or anything. He has made a clean cut with Tori before he asked Jade on a date.  
Though he does feel guilty now. He does know that this is a little wrong.

He finds Jade at her locker later during one break and takes a deep breath before he walks up to her.  
"Hey, Jade."  
"Hey," she answers, closing her locker right now and looking at him expectantly.  
He rubs his neck as he begins: "I thought about this and..."  
She already cuts through him: "You realized I'm not the girl you thought I'd be and you now hate me for you having broken up with Tori because of me."  
Okay, wow. That almost sounds as if Jade thought all along that that would happen.  
"No. That's not it," he's quick to say.  
She cocks an eyebrows again, like she does, and he explains: "I loved our date on Friday and I would love to go on even more. It's just that I also don't want to hurt Tori even more."  
"So?" Jade asks.  
He shrugs. "So... I'm not sure."  
He doesn't know what he wants to do now, what he wants the both of them to do. He does want to date Jade, right now. But he doesn't know how to do that without hurting Tori. He knows doing it secretely would do noone any good. Especially as he guesses Tori will find out anyway, sooner or later. She also does know him well, so probably she would find out rather soon. And if Beck would do it secretely, he would actually feel like he would cheat on Tori in a way.  
Jade looks at him for a moment, then she shrugs and passes by him, leaving him with the words: "Talk to me when you are."

He wants to do nothing more than talk to Jade again directly but he has to think about this. Maybe, he should even ask Andre what he thinks. Though Andre would probably side with Tori and tell him to just not date Jade. He doesn't want that to be the solution though. He thinks about asking Cat, who can be incredibly insightful at times. But he isn't sure how to even start that talk. It's not like he has ever talked about his feelings with her or anything.  
He gets held back after his history lesson by his teacher, right before lunch break. Apparently, he hasn't done too good in his test the week before while he usually gets As and Bs without much trouble. Well, his thoughts have been elsewhere lately.  
He doesn't say that to the teacher though, but promises to do better again a few times, and that he's fine and not too occupied in his arts classes (which his history teacher always assumes with the students when they aren't doing as well as they usually are).  
Finally, he's allowed to leave, and he passes by another class room which door stands slightly open, when he hears a voice that sounds all too familiar.  
"Do you want to take my place? Is that it?"  
Well, it sounds familiar and yet it doesn't. He has never heard Tori sound this angry and desperate before.  
He has a feeling to know, who she's talking to like that. And sure enough: As he walks into the classroom he not only finds Tori but also Jade.  
Jade has her arms crossed and sounds much calmer then Tori as she answers: "You're talking crazy, Vega."  
She shortly glances to Beck while Tori doesn't seem to notice him as she already shoots back: "You snatched my best friend and my boyfriend from me!"  
Beck knows he isn't meant with both of that. Tori isn't just talking about him but about Cat as well.  
He swallows as he thinks about Cat. Cat who hasn't always eaten with Tori since the break-up like Robbie and Andre almost always have. Cat instead has also sat with Jade sometimes. Just like she still talks to Jade all the time.  
"I didn't," Jade calmly states and Tori is almost screaming now: "You did! I lost everything because of you!"  
And somehow Beck knows what is going to happen before it does. Tori is still in the process of grabbing the chair to possibly throw it in Jade's direction. Jade must also realize that there is danger with how angry Tori is and with her sudden movement. She takes a step back while Beck finally intervenes, steps up to Tori and grabs her by her arms, before anything can happen. "Whoa! Stop it!"  
Tori really hasn't noticed him before. Now, she does, looks at him and suddenly, there are tears. She's crying, hopelessly, and he feels so damn bad.  
"I'm so sorry, Tori. I'm so, so sorry."  
He takes her in his arms before he knows it and she doesn't push him away but digs her fingernails in his shirt and cries into it.  
After a moment, he says softly: "This isn't Jade's fault though." He can't have her attacking Jade for him breaking up with her.  
Tori sniffs and it sounds like she doesn't actually want to ask it and yet as if she needs an answer: "Have you ever loved me?"  
"I still love you," he tells her truthfully, stroking her hair as he holds her. "Just not like I'm supposed to for us to be a couple. You will marry a great guy some day, Tori. All your dreams will come true." Not only of her being a successful singer but of her being happily married to a great guy and having two children, owning a beautiful house somewhere, living the perfect family life. "Just not with me as that guy, but with me as one of your friends."  
She pushes herself slightly away from him without actually pushing herself out of his arms. "Why can't you love me the way I love you?" she asks as she looks into his eyes.  
And he doesn't have an answer for her. He doesn’t know. Though he hopes that Tori actually also doesn’t love him in that certain way, that she just can’t see yet that she also loves him more like a brother than anything else. He hopes she also runs into the person one day that she may be able to love so much more than him some day.  
Just like he has run into Jade - or walked.  
He shrugs as an answer and draws Tori back into a hug. Only then, he looks up and around but Jade has left the room. He feels a little sick. He can imagine her not being very happy to see him like this with his ex-girlfriend. Hugging her this close, comforting her, telling her he loves her... How will he ever explain that to her? His feelings that are sort of all over the place right now.  
He holds Tori for a minute longer or something in silence, when Cat suddenly bursts into the room.  
"Tori!" she says and Tori instantly draws back from Beck and looks at Cat surprised, her eyes and face still full of tears. "I still love you! Jade is just also one of my best friends. All of you are! It doesn't take anything away from our friendship. If it ever does, you have to tell me."  
And the red-head girl tackles Tori with a big hug that Tori returns with an almost relieved smile.  
"I'm sorry I have been acting crazy," Tori says after Cat and she have hugged for a long time, also in silence, and after they have broken apart.  
"Don't be sorry. It's my fault," Beck says because it is. Tori hasn't liked Jade from the beginning but if Beck would've just realized about his love for Tori before and would've broken up with her before they would've even met Jade... He knows it would've been different. And even with Cat then also spending a lot of time with Jade, Tori would've been able to go with it because it wouldn't have all added up.  
Tori now shoots him a painful smile before she starts wiping away her tears and asks Cat: "How did you know anyway that we were here?"  
That's a good question. Women's intuition?  
"Jade told me," Cat says though and as surprise shows in Tori's face, Cat adds: "I told you she's a better person than you think."

Tori decides to go talk to Jade. They all go into the Asphalt Café together to see Robbie and Andre sitting at their usual table, looking unsure (Cat's lunch is also on the table, so Jade must have grabbed her form here), and Jade sitting at the other end of the Café, eating on her own.  
Tori says she doesn't want Beck or Cat to come with her, so they go for their usual table as well, both still watching Tori as she approaches Jade though.  
"What’s going on? Why is Tori going to Jade?" Andre directly asks.  
Neither Beck nor Cat answer as Tori sits down at Jade's table and they start talking.  
Andre and Robbie share a glance before Andre says: "You know... Suddenly Jade came up and dragged you“ – he indicates Cat – “with her and then you were gone and Jade sat down to eat but you didn't come back. And neither you” – now, he indicates Beck – “nor Tori were here. And now, the three of you came back together. What's up?"  
"We'll explain later," Beck carelessly says. Maybe, they will. Some version of it. Probably without Tori's anger and her many tears. Not everybody must know about that, even if Andre and Robbie are also such close friends.  
Nobody at their table says anything after that.  
Tori leaves Jade after a while and passes their table without looking at them.  
Jade only stands back up when she has eaten all her food. She throws the wrapping away and then also goes back into school.  
Beck quickly stands up to follow her.  
She walks to her locker. Other students are also roaming the hallway. Tori isn't among them, as far as Beck can see.  
"So? What happened?" he carefully asks as he stops next to her after she has already opened her locker.  
She glances at him, then takes a book out and puts it into her bag as she answers: "We talked. I'm not sure I can get any closer to a guy with his ex-girlfriend being right there."  
His heart misses a beat. Okay. She doesn't want to date him.  
She closes her locker, leans against the one next to it as she looks at him again. "But she's also not sure she can actually watch her ex-boyfriend date another girl. So, we'll try it out and see what happens."  
They what?  
She cocks an eyebrows as he gives no visible reaction. "If you are willing to go on another date with me."  
A smile spreads over his face. "I am," he says because he so is. And he leans forward and they share a small kiss.

It's tough and their group of friends never is the same again. It takes a while before they all sit together again, now all six of them, Jade included all the time. It takes an even longer time for him and Tori to be able to talk alone again. It's not easy and it never is the same again as it has been before them getting together in the first place. Nothing really is the same.  
But it's also fine differently. Tori spends even more time with Andre, Cat and Robbie now and never warms totally up to Jade, while Beck spends most of his time with Jade or the whole group. Their group of friends still work, they still get along, they still keep together.  
Jade and he get together after only one month of dating. It's a rollercoaster of a relationship but the highs are worth everything. She keeps him up his feet, she lets him clash with her, she claims him, makes him feel wanted, searches for his hands with hers all the time. She loves to spend time alone with him, just lying together in silence or making out or even going on a trip together, just the two of them. She shows him another world and another way to go.  
Soon enough, he's so close to her like to family, but in such a different way. In the right way.


End file.
